The Nerdist Way: How to Reach the Next Level (In Real Life)

Nerds: Once a tormented subrace of humans... Now captains of industry! You don’t have to be a stereotypical geekwad to appreciate the tenets of Nerdism and to make your innate talents for overanalysis and hyper-self-awareness work for you instead of against you. Join Nerd superstar Chris Hardwick as he offers his fellow “creative-obsessives” the crucial information needed to come out on top in the current Nerd uprising. Success is the most satisfying - and legal - form of vengeance there is. And you can achieve it when you follow the Nerdist Way,

Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography

This hilarious book has been adapted especially for the audiobook edition so you’ll hear all of the same fun and humor from the printed version but you don’t have to make any decisions or jump around - just kick back, relax and listen. Plus, it features exclusive bonus audio of young Neil delivering an adorable speech! That’s audio you won’t hear in any version of this book other than the audiobook!

Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living

Growing a perfect moustache, grilling red meat, wooing a woman - who better to deliver this tutelage than the always charming, always manly Nick Offerman, best known as Parks and Recreation's Ron Swanson? Combining his trademark comic voice and very real expertise in woodworking - he runs his own woodshop - Paddle Your Own Canoe features tales from Offerman's childhood in small-town Minooka, Illinois, to his theater days in Chicago, beginnings as a carpenter/actor and the hilarious and magnificent seduction of his now-wife Megan Mullally.

Truths, Half Truths and Little White Lies

If I'm going to tell the story of a life, my life, then I need to tell it warts and all. If the tale is too saccharine sweet then what can the reader take away from it? What do they learn about you? I've written everything down. The shit, the death, fun, naughtiness, addiction, laughter, laughter, laughter, some tears and lots of love and happiness. That, to me, is a better reflection of a human's life.

Silver Screen Fiend: Learning About Life From an Addiction to Film

New York Times best-selling author, comedian, and actor Patton Oswalt shares his entertaining memoir about coming of age as a performer and writer in the late '90s while obsessively watching classic films at the legendary New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles. Between 1995 and 1999, Patton Oswalt lived with an unshakeable addiction. It wasn't drugs, alcohol, or sex. It was film.

Zombie Spaceship Wasteland: A Book by Patton Oswalt

Oswalt combines memoir with uproarious humor, from snow forts to Dungeons & Dragons to gifts from Grandma that had to be explained. He remem­bers his teen summers spent working in a movie Cineplex and his early years doing stand-up. Readers are also treated to several graphic elements, includ­ing a vampire tale for the rest of us and some greeting cards with a special touch.

Batman and Psychology: A Dark and Stormy Knight

Batman is one of the most compelling and enduring characters to come from the Golden Age of Comics, and interest in his story has only increased through countless incarnations since his first appearance in Detective Comics #27 in 1939. Why does this superhero without superpowers fascinate us? What does that fascination say about us? Batman and Psychology explores these and other intriguing questions about the masked vigilante, including: Does Batman have PTSD? Why does he fight crime? Why as a vigilante? Why the mask, the bat, and the underage partner?

You're Making Me Hate You: A Cantankerous Look at the Common Misconception That Humans Have Any Common Sense Left

In the tradition of the late, great George Carlin, Corey Taylor, the lead singer of Slipknot and Stone Sour, sounds off in hilarious fashion about the many vagaries of modern life that piss him off. Whether it's people's rude behavior in restaurants and malls, the many indignities of air travel, eye-searingly terrible fashion choices, dangerously clueless drivers, and - most of all - the sorry state of much modern music, Taylor's humor and insight cover civil society's seeming decline.

Tell 'Em Steve Dave Presents: A Small Fistful of Dollahs

The award-winning podcast Tell 'Em Steve Dave brings you four of the most righteous, grooviest tales of the flyest, dopest baadasssss albino bruthah that ever was and ever will be! From the creators of the Audible best-selling Fair-re-re Tale Theater, join us on an adventure through time and space.

Seven Deadly Sins: Settling the Argument Between Born Bad and Damaged Good

For the first time, Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor speaks directly to his fans and shares his worldview about life as a sinner. And Taylor knows how to sin. As a small-town hero in the early '90s, he threw himself into a fierce-drinking, drug-abusing, hard-loving, live-for-the-moment life. Soon Taylor's music exploded, and he found himself rich, wanted, and on the road. His new and ever-more-extreme lifestyle had an unexpected effect, however; for the first time, he began to actively think about what it meant to sin.

Gizowarfum Fleepaflop says:"Such a raw story from a deeply interesting artist!"

When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?

Following his two New York Times best sellers, Brain Droppings and Napalm & Silly Putty, comes George Carlin's third audiobook, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?, a riotous journey through the mind of one of America's premiere comic observers.

The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts

The New York Times best-selling biography of an American comedy legend. After three years of sobriety, Chris Farley's life was at its creative peak until a string of professional disappointments chased him back to drugs and alcohol. He fought hard against them, but it was a fight he would lose in December 1997. Farley's fans immediately drew parallels between his death and that of his idol, John Belushi. Without looking deeper, however, many failed to see that Farley was much more than just another Hollywood drug overdose. In this officially authorized oral history, Farley's friends and family remember his work and life.

Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers

The star of Parks and Recreation and author of the New York Times best seller Paddle Your Own Canoe returns with a second book that humorously highlights 21 figures from our nation's history, from her inception to present day - Nick's personal pantheon of "great Americans".

Attempting Normal

Marc Maron was a parent-scarred, angst-filled, drug-dabbling, love-starved comedian who dreamed of a simple life: a wife, a home, a sitcom to call his own. But instead he woke up one day to find himself fired from his radio job, surrounded by feral cats, and emotionally and financially annihilated by a divorce from a woman he thought he loved. He tried to heal his broken heart through whatever means he could find - minor-league hoarding, Viagra addiction, accidental racial profiling, cat fancying, flying airplanes with his mind - but nothing seemed to work. It was only when he was stripped down to nothing that he found his way back.

Life of the Party: Stories of a Perpetual Man-Child

A collection of outrageous stories by the stand-up comic, TV host, and inspiration for the movie National Lampoon's Van Wilder. Bert Kreischer doesn't know how to say "no". If he did, he wouldn't have gotten himself mixed up with a group of Russian mobsters on a class trip to Moscow, earning him his nickname "The Machine". He wouldn't have wrestled with a bear or swum with sharks on national television. He wouldn't have (possibly) smoked PCP with a star of Saturday Night Live.

Fame can be addictive. From his early days videotaping crazy skateboard stunts to starring in the blockbuster Jackass franchise, there was little that Stephen “Steve-O” Glover wouldn’t do for attention. Whether it was stapling his nutsack to his leg, diving into a pool full of elephant crap, or routinely risking death invading the private lives of sharks, lions, tigers, and bears, almost nothing was out of bounds. And as the stunts got crazier, his life kept pace.

I'm Not High

With his goofy smile, sleepy eyes, and stoner's laugh, Jim Breuer might not appear to be the most introspective comedian out there. The fact that Jim Breuer made his mark playing Goat Boy on Saturday Night Live and a recalcitrant toker in the stoner classic Half Baked doesn't help his reputation at all. But in I'm Not High, we meet a whole new Jim Breuer.

Publisher's Summary

Profane, honest, and totally real advice from comedian and director Kevin Smith - one of America's most original voices....

Take one look at Kevin Smith: He's a balding fatty who wears a size XXL hockey jersey, shorts, and slippers year-round. Not a likely source for life advice. But take a second look at Kevin Smith: He changed filmmaking forever when he was 24 with the release of Clerks, and since then has gone on to make nine more profitable movies, runs his own production company, wrote a best-selling graphic novel, and has a beautiful wife and kids. So he must be doing something right.

As Kevin's millions of Twitter followers and millions of podcast listeners know, he's the first one to admit his flaws and the last one to care about them. In early 2011, he began using his platform to answer big questions from fans - like "What should I do with my life?"- and he discovered that he had a lot to say. Tough Sh-t distills his four decades of breaking all the rules down to direct and brutally honest advice, including:

Why he has accepted Ferris Bueller as his personal savior, and what the Tenets of Buellerism can teach about hiding in plain sight and lip-syncing in the face of danger

Why it's really fun to eat but not so fun to be fat

What to do about people who don't like your policies ( for starters, tell them to pucker up and smooch your big ol' butt)

What Kevin's idol Wayne Gretzky can teach us about creativity and direction

For anyone who's out of a job, out of luck, or just out of sugary snack foods, Tough Sh*t is an unabashedly honest guide to getting the most out of doing the least.

First, a warning: this book contains more naughty language and downright profane sentiment than any book I've read in a long, long time - maybe ever! If you're familiar with Kevin Smith's work, then you're already acclimated to the language. If you're new to the "View Askewniverse," proceed at your own risk. ;-)

That being said, I'm a huge fan of Kevin Smith. I love his gift for dialogue and characterization, his talent for giving a sparkle to minutiae, and the sweet heart that beats behind an undeniably dirty mouth. Most of all, I love the fact that he is an ordinary guy who's made it big by making art. This book was just as touching, inspiring and hilarious as a fangirl could've wished. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

"As much as you want to walk your own path you're terrified of standing apart. Because the pack offers security, normalcy, convenience, protection and identity. So here's the tough sh*t: security, normalcy, convenience, protection and identity? They're opiates you've got to wean yourself off before you can be an individual. You can't stand out if you're blending in."

"In the face of such hopelessness as our eventual unavoidable death, there is little sense in not at least trying to accomplish all of your wildest dreams in life."

"If you're alive, kick into drive. Chase whimsies. See if you can turn dreams into a way to make a living, if not an entire way of life."

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Any fan of Smith will enjoy this book. Those who aren't fans will likely find themselves entertained and inspired. I'll definitely be reading this one again.

I love Kevin Smith and have always enjoyed his movies, especially his early ones. He’s a New Jersey guy like myself. He is a huge hockey fan like myself. And like myself, he is a huge George Carlin fan.

He is a great writer and I loved hearing about the making of his movies and especially loved hearing about his saga with Bruce Willis. I also loved hearing about Wayne Gretzky. I may need to purchase that book too now.

In any event, this is a great book and is very funny right from the very beginning up until the very end.

Kevin Smith is one of the funniest people alive. His movies are fantastic, but this tops them all. He says things in such an honest and funny way, you're left feeling that you can't believe you've never seen it like that before. Or, maybe you did, you're just not clever enough to say it like he can. One warning: you might want to strap on some depends. You might pee yourself while listening to this book.

I like Kevin Smith despite myself - - and him. The essence of this guy is a really sweet, funny, and ridiculously smart "artist" as he insists on calling himself and others. The need to slip into 6th grade boy humor and more swear words per square inch then you can believe possible doesn't prevent even a quasi-prude like me from really enjoying the person who lies at the heart of this "artist." If you've seen and liked any of his films like Chasing Amy or Clerks (or my personal favorite: Dogma) then you'll really like this book as well. What makes it more special is that he occasionally goes off script and you get that spontaneous humor that makes him so entertaining. If you like his movies, you'll like this man, and you'll like this book and agree with him: he's an artist.

Kevin Smith is a funny guy and loves to talk so it's no surprise that he narrates this book and he does it well.

If you're a fan looking for anything new I doubt you'll find it here as if you've listened or watched his Q&A shows and podcasts this book is pretty much the same thing, which is not a surprise but I might of hoped for more new material.

Look even if you???re only vaguely familiar with Kevin Smith work you can???t go wrong with this book. It is absolute gold. You???re going to be charmed by Smith???s witticisms and colorful pro???s, which range from hardcore nerd humor to a surprisingly wide knowledge of historic figures (the guy really is funny). I???m defiantly going to recommend this to everyone I meet, especially because it???s saved my sanity during finals week. Where I???ve been working full time on campus, and buried under a literal mountain of research essays. In addition, the fact that Kevin Smith decided to narrate this book himself adds to the flavor and really gives it a stand out performance.

I would recommend this book to a friend. It's a great way to spend six hours listening to a really good story, read by a really good voice.

How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

I continue to search for books such as this that give advice to creative people.

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?

The information is presented in very interesting and insightful ways. One example is the explicit language use in relation to personal affairs. This is quite unique, and genius.

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

On occasion, especially when talking about filming after Clerks, I thought there was a touch of politics in the tone of voice. I don't know if it was intentional or that it showed a sign of discontent with the structure of the art/film industry.

Do you have any additional comments?

I listened through in one sitting and really enjoyed it. I liked Kevin Smith's voice because it was

The man is simply gifted. Not only that, but Kevin Smith proves he's not afraid to work and speak his mind. Humor guides this story, but I feel like it connects with you on a much deeper level. From his stoner comedies to talking about meeting your "heroes" he tells it all. I really enjoyed everything this had to offer.

Common sense sound advice mixed in with an interesting life story. Simple, smart, hilarious and entertaining. Loved the references and Kevin Smith reading his own words made it seem like I got to spend a few hours hanging out with someone i would choose to be friends with.